Food & Drink

Motherhood

Want to find a great place to take your Valentine this holiday? Look no further! Members of Social Fabric have found places all across the United States that are romantic and perfect for a lovely date night! Just find your local area below and see what fabulous places it has to offer. You can make it a night to remember! #Dinner4Valentines

Romantic Restaurants in Dallas

Lucia

Lucia is one of the best, if not the best Italian restaurant in Dallas! Lucia is housed in a charming historic home located in the Bishop Arts area. The menu is seasonal and all of their gourmet pasta is made from scratch. Work your way through antipasti, then risotto with white truffles, followed by scallops with honey nut squash, maitake mushrooms, fennel and smoked pancetta. Reservations go fast, with calls a month ahead recommended. You can view their Valentine’s offerings here. (picture source. LuciaDallas.com)

Boulevardier

Boulevardier is great for any special occasion and we think it would be an excellent choice for Valentine’s Day. It’s very romantic with a French Bistro flair; flickering candles, oysters and champagne – you’ll get that all here and more! We love the French onion soup, Poached Egg Farm salad, Mussels, and Beef Bourguignon Pappardelle. They also have a fantastic beverage list featuring over 120 of American and French wines, along with wonderful cocktails and craft beer. (Picture Source: Gilt City Dallas)

Tei-An

Tei-An offers luxurious Japanese cuisine that never ceases to amaze – it’s always absolutely delicious. The interior design is contemporary and gives off a very zen-like vibe that’s just begging you to relax. The ambiance is great for date night, located in the One Arts District, a very trendy, artsy new area of Dallas. The service is fantastic with very well-trained. Our waitress was particularly wonderful, which added to the overall dining experience. Eat your way through their Soba offerings, sushi, proteins, seafood and absolutely incredible desserts. (Picture Source: D Magazine)

The Mansion Restaurant

This is Dallas’ best restaurant when it comes to luxe fine dining. The Mansion Restaurant has been in Dallas for more than 30 years and is an absolute classic. We love that they are creating and serving “haute cuisine – Texas style”. It’s located in the beautiful Mansion on Turtle Creek Hotel, which is absolutely perfect for those looking for a very romantic spot. It’s also a popular location for proposals and anniversaries, a testimonial to its truly romantic ambiance. We dined here during restaurant week and loved not only the food, but also the restaurant’s charm. Also, don’t miss the live music on the veranda over the weekend, a perfect spot for romantic al fresco fireside dining and lounging. (Picture Source: Rosewoodhotels.com)

Neighborhood Services

A local favorite, Neighborhood Services is a wonderful date spot. It’s located on Lover’s Lane – how fitting for Valentine’s Day. The Chef, Nick Bodavinus, is well-known and wonderful bringing his guests delicious America fare every single time. It’s also home to our favorite scallop dish in Dallas and scallops are very sexy. The steaks and pastas are equally delicious. The vibe is pretty sexy too; dimly lit, lots of wood, cool Americana style art and extra cozy. (Picture Source: Dallas Eater)

You can read more about Chef Nick Bodavinus in our interview with him here.

TJ’s Seafood Market & Grill

TJ’sis on the list because it is a favorite close by little neighborhood gem. It has super fresh seafood and a wonderful welcoming feel to it. We love being able to walk up the street and see what’s in new for the day. Some of our favorites are their lobster rolls, fresh fish tacos, oysters, tuna steak and asian cole slaw – so, so good! They also have a great wine list. On nicer days, we like to sit outside and eat on the patio. (Picture Source: Tj’sSeafood.com)

Hattie’s

Hattie’s is an America bistro with a low country southern flair. They use traditional southern recipes and give them an upgraded modern twist. They’re located in the ever-interesting Bishop Arts neighborhood and have really influenced the area. The Dallas Observer has noted, “Dallas’ most vibrant dining scene may owe it all to one restaurant. Hattie’s helped build Bishop Arts..”. I love this restaurant and have eaten here many times. It brings back the best of memories, including a birthday celebration for my daddy-man and first date with my boyfriend. When you go, be sure to try the fried green tomatoes, grits, wedge salad and my personal favorite the mac & cheese encrusted filet of beef! It’s also great for people watching. (Picture Source: Hattie’s)

Mot Hai Ba

We love this little Vietnamese restaurant so much. Mot Hai Bais tucked away on a side street off of the popular Greenville Avenue and resides in the Lakewood area of Dallas. Their story is really cool too, with Mot Hai Ba’s creation stemming from the chefs’ fateful motorcycle foodie trip through Vietnam! It is absolutely exquisite, elegant, energetic and very romantic. We love love, love the garlic noodles, green papaya and beef salad, imperial rolls, oxtail, duck, the list goes on and on. It’s also recently been voted the best new restaurant in Dallas! (Picture Source: mothaibadallas.com)

Le Bilboquet

Famous in New York City and now in Dallas, Le Bilboquetoffers some of the best French food I have had state-side. It has an intimate feel with it being on the small side with about 55 seats. Crisp white table linens, woven bistro style chairs, along with delicious food and champagne – this restaurant definitely deserves to be on our most romantic spots to dine in Dallas. They’re known for their dish Le Poulet Cajun and it is absolutely amazing. I crave it ALL the time! I hardly ever order chicken when dining out and keep coming back and ordering this incredible dish – I am hoping to master it at home soon. If you can’t make it for dinner, their brunch is fantastic too. (Picture Source: Urban Daddy)

Honorable mention….any meal prepared or shared with love and enjoyed with loved ones wherever that may be!

Thinking back to so many culinary adventures in 2014; it was a very wonderful year! I would have to say that among the most memorable experiences was a fantastic foray into “all things Sonoma” as presented by Sonoma County Tourism partnering with Rodney Strong Vineyards during their visit to Dallas in December. My boyfriend and I, along with another foodie aficionado were treated to a wonderful overview of all that a visit to Sonoma County has to offer.

Featuring more than 400 wineries, 100 plus organic farms, and 55 miles of stunning Pacific coastline, Sonoma County is a wine lover’s paradise with something for everyone – rustically charming historic towns, art galleries, unique shopping, and a variety of restaurants to keep you fueled up for your daily adventures. Of course, Rodney Strong Vineyards is a favorite stop too. World-class wines that truly showcase the bounty of the Sonoma terroire, offerings include: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Malbec, Meritage (Bordeaux), Merlot, Pinot Noir, Port, Sauvignon Blanc, Fume Blanc, Syrah, and Zinfandel. Sure to please the most discerning of palates. Our favorite is Rodney Strong’s Symmetry and it can be bought here in Dallas at Central Market. Focused on sustainability, Rodney Strong aspires to conserve and protect the environment in all aspects of the operation.

As the evening progressed, we then rolled up our sleeves for the hands on fun of learning about the art of wine blending from the Rodney Strong perspective. All this was finished off with a memorable dinner in the Dragonfly wine cellar at the Hotel Zaza with our new friends! They have an excellent wine list with delicious food pairings. We left with bottles of our own uniquely crafted wine blends to savor in the new year and remind us to make plans for a 2015 Sonoma trip sooner than later! Located just a short 30 mile drive from San Francisco, it’s easy to get to and could be enjoyed over a leisurely long holiday weekend.

So cheers to you and your 2015 culinary adventures…see you in Sonoma! Also, thank you to Robert Larsen from Rodney Strong Vineyards and Sonoma County Tourism who were such wonderful hosts!

Happy Monday Friends! We hope you’re having a great start to your week. We just came across Jeju 16 Water, which we love, and wanted to share this refreshing Green Detox Juice recipe with you.

Jeju 16 Water was discovered on Jeju, a volcanic island off the coast of South Korea. Very few places on earth have the ability to produce a naturally purified water with the mineral enrichment nature intended. This island does just that by naturally purifying the water while it passes through sixteen layers of porous volcanic bedrock. One of the benefits of this process is that it does not strip away the essential minerals your body needs; while leaving you with softer, but crisp and refreshing water. Yes Please!

Green Detox Juice recipe Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of Jeju 16 Water2 cups kale

2 green apples, cored

1/2 cup parsley leaves

1 medium cucumber, quartered

2 celery stalks, roughly chopped

1 (1-inch) piece of ginger, peeled

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

Add all of the ingredients into the blender jug in the order in which they are listed. Blend the ingredients on the highest level setting, such as “liquefy,” until the juice is well-blended. (It will be the consistency of a smoothie.) If you want to enjoy the pulp with your juice, pour the mixture into glasses and serve.If you prefer a thinner consistency, pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, and using a spatula, press the pulp into the sieve to extract as much liquid as possible. Pour the strained juice into glasses and serve.

Each year we make several visits to Portland, Maine, to visit family. These trips are always highly anticipated not just for the family-time, but also because Portland has an awesome restaurant scene! Although we have eaten at quite a few of the best restaurants in Portland, the trip always seems to fly by leaving us craving more.

Duck Fat

I finally got the chance to check out Duck Fat and savor their highly anticipated Duck Poutine! Also, Zagat recently voted Duck Fat one of the top 10 hottest restaurants in Portland, Maine!

To drink, I ordered an Allagash White to wash my poutine down. Allagash White is the Allagash Brewing Company’s take on a traditional Belgian wheat beer, and you know we are all about wheat beers! Allagash White is light and refreshing, with citrusy notes of orange peel. It is my go-to brew when we are staying in Maine.

I knew after perusing Duck Fat’s website that I had to try their fries. They say that their fries are their inspiration and the reason they opened the restaurant, so you know these are going to be stellar fries! Duck Fat makes their fries using hand-cut Maine potatoes fried Belgian-style in duck fat and then tossed with their seasoning salt. And these delicious slices of fried-heaven form the base of their tantalizing duck poutine that just might be one of the best things I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating.

We ordered a large poutine “fully loaded” and it was incredibly delicious – so decadent! The fries formed the base of the dish, as with any traditional poutine, but what truly made this poutine standout were the toppings. The crisp fries were topped with indulgent Silvery Moon Creamery cheese curd, savory duck confit gravy that cooked overnight, and a fried egg with fresh chives to top it all off. I am salivating just thinking about the flavor combinations and textures in this dish. It’s salty, creamy, meaty, rich, and so unbelievably satisfying.

Three of us split the dish but secretly I wanted an order all to myself and probably will do that next time, because there will most definitely be a next time! Fortuitous Foodies give Duck Fat an A+!

If you are like us you did some serious eating and festive drinking over the Holidays. For a healthy refresh, we are tryingBon Appetit‘s 2015 Food Lover’s Cleanseand so far, so good. The recipes are healthy, tasty and easy to follow. Another great component of this cleanse is that you can swap ingredients out for others that you prefer more – yes!